Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde results: Beterbiev halts game Yarde in eight rounds

Tom Gray

Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde results: Beterbiev halts game Yarde in eight rounds image

Unified light heavyweight titleholder Artur Beterbiev is in his 10th year as a professional prizefighter and he still hasn’t heard a judge’s scorecard.

On Saturday, the Canadian-based Russian claimed a hard-fought eighth-round stoppage victory over British power puncher Anthony Yarde at Wembley Arena in London. With this victory, the champion extends his unbeaten record to 19-0 (19 KOs).

Following a classic 175-pound shootout, Beterbiev retained the IBF, WBC, and WBO belts, but he was tested and marked up by Yarde, who fought brilliantly.

Ultimately, it was the 38-year-old champion's superior pedigree and class that proved decisive and he decked Yarde with a pair of fierce right hands in the eighth. The challenger rose, but when Beterbiev followed up, Yarde's trainer, Tunde Ajayi, climbed onto the ring apron and informed referee Steve Gray that he'd seen enough.

“I hope I will be, one day, a good boxer,” said Beterbiev, the master of understatement, in his post-fight interview with BT Sport in the U.K.

“I’m looking for the next job. [WBA champion Dmitry Bivol] is more pleasant than any other job. We’ll know who’s best after the fight.”

If the Beterbiev-Bivol showdown comes off, then boxing would crown the first undisputed light heavyweight champion since Roy Jones Jr. some 20 years ago.

This was the 31-year-old Yarde’s third defeat in 26 starts. In August 2019, the hard-hitting Londoner lost by stoppage to then-WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev. He also split two fights with former Commonwealth champ Lyndon Arthur.

The Sporting News provided live coverage of Beterbiev vs. Yarde:

Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde live results, updates

Round 8: A pair of brutal Beterbiev right hands smash Yarde to the canvas midway through the round. The Londoner is on his knees and dazed. He rises but a follow-up assault convinces Yarde's corner to surrender and referee Steve Gray stops the fight.

RESULT: OFFICIAL TIME 2:01 OF THE EIGHTH ROUND. BETERBIEV IS STILL THE UNIFIED LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

Round 7: Classic action. Yarde was doing so well through two minutes, but the champion spins him into a corner and unloads a furious burst. That moment turned the round completely.

SN Official Scorecard: 10-9 Beterbiev (68-66 Beterbiev)

Round 6: Beterbiev is cut around the left eye and distracted. Yarde has momentum and landed the better punches in the session. This is anyone's fight.

SN Official Scorecard: 10-9 Yarde (58-57 Beterbiev)

Round 5: Best round of the fight. Yarde nails the champion with a sharp left hand and a huge right rocks the Canadian-based Russian. Beterbiev evens the score by hurting the challenger with a punishing burst in the closing seconds.

SN Official Scorecard: 10-10 (49-47 Beterbiev)

Round 4: Beterbiev displays his championship pedigree, hurting Yarde early in the session and scoring with a variety of big power shots. The challenger gamely fired back and landed heavy shots of his own, but he was stunned several times.

SN Official Scorecard: 10-9 Beterbiev (39-37 Beterbiev)

Round 3: While the action is competitive, Beterbiev is applying so much pressure with his feet. He's making Yarde work extremely hard and that could prove decisive if the fight goes long. Beterbiev landed the better shots in this round.

SN Official Scorecard: 10-9 Beterbiev (29-28 Beterbiev)

Round 2: Terrific round. Yarde was busier and more accurate, walking the champion on to some effective counterpunching, and there was one memorable right uppercut that snapped Beterbiev's head back.

SN Official Scorecard: 10-9 Yarde (19-19)

Round 1: Beterbiev claims ring centre and puts the challenger on the back foot. A tight-looking Yarde lands three nifty left-hand counters in what was a swing round. Edge to the champion on work rate. 

SN Official Scorecard: 10-9 Beterbiev

The crowd is now energised for the power-packed main event.

Ring announcer Thomas Treiber introduces Yarde, who walks slowly to the ring looking bright-eyed and focused. The champion follows to a mixed reception and wears the look of a man who has been there and done it... and he has.

Moses Itauma vs. Marcel Bode

It was a blink and you miss it professional debut for former amateur star Moses Itauma, who knocked over the hapless Marcel Bode in 23 seconds at heavyweight.

Southpaw Itauma put his brother’s defeat earlier in the evening to the back of his mind and blasted out the visitor with two big left hands. The shots were partially blocked, but the visitor appeared to be stunned by the power and referee Mark Bates stopped the fight.

The 18-year-old Itauma is highly touted, and promoter Frank Warren believes he can become the youngest heavyweight champion of all time. That record has been held by Mike Tyson (who won the title at 20 years, four months and 22 days) since November 1986.

Tommy Fletcher vs. Darryl Sharp

Unbeaten southpaw Tommy Fletcher extended his unbeaten streak to 4-0 (3 KOs) by scoring a six-round decision over the super-durable journeyman Darryl Sharp at cruiserweight. The referee was the lone scorer and had it a 60-54 shutout.

The bout was devoid of any worthwhile action, with the 6-foot-7 Fletcher dominating behind his long game from start to finish.

Karol Itauma vs. Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna

Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna scored a surprising fifth-round stoppage of the previously unbeaten Karol Itauma and annexed the WBC international light heavyweight title. The official time was 1:04.

The warning signs were out early when Maderna’s right hand landed flush in the opening round and snapped the home fighter’s head back. The Argentinian was extremely patient and timed his successes. Itauma bossed the action at times, particularly on the inside, but he was too open and paid the price.

In the fifth, a sharp straight right hand decked Itauma heavily and he was in no condition to continue when he found his feet. Referee John Latham waved the bout off and there were no complaints.

Artem Dalakian vs. David Jimenez

Ukraine’s WBA flyweight champion Artem Dalakian retained his title for the sixth time by posting a 12-round unanimous decision over David Jimenez. The official scores were 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113.

Dalakian (22-0, 15 KOs) used the ring well and pot-shotted from the outside. A sharp left hook in Round 2 clearly affected the Costa Rican challenger, who backed off to buy time. However, a big right to the body from Jimenez in the third rekindled his confidence and he cranked up the pressure from bell to bell.

This battle of Ring Magazine-rated fighters (Dalakian No. 3 and Jimenez No. 6) was competitive, but the judges favoured the champion’s cleaner work over the challenger’s pressure and aggression.

The 35-year-old Dalakian now seeks unification bouts against Sunny Edwards (IBF) and Julio Cesar Martinez (WBC).

Jimenez, 30, drops to 12-1 (9 KOs).

Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde fight card

  • Artur Beterbiev TKO 8 Anthony Yarde (Official time 2:01) – IBF, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight titles
  • Artem Dalakian UD 12 David Jimenez (116-112, 115-113, 115-113) – WBA flyweight title
  • Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna TKO 5 Karol Itauma (Official time 1:04) – WBC International light-heavyweight title
  • Moses Itauma TKO 1Marcel Bode (Official time 0:23) - Heavyweight
  • Khalid Ali TKO 1 Ivica Gogosevic (Official time 3:00) - Welterweight
  • Charles Frankham W-PTS 6 Joshua Ocampo (60-54) – Lightweight
  • Sean Noakes TKO 5 Santiago Garces – Welterweight

Tom Gray

Tom Gray Photo

Tom Gray joined The Sporting News in 2022 after over a decade at Ring Magazine where he served as managing editor. Tom retains his position on The Ring ratings panel and is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.